We would like to welcome both returning and new campers to another awesome summer at Kingsley Pines. Jean and David have been busy working on lots of new program ideas, special days, some prettycool new 5th period options, and a new feature that we have dubbed Dinner-tainment,during which they hope to provide you withthe ultimate (or most interesting)dining experience you have ever had. So if you haven't signed up yet... wait a minute... you haven't signed up?! What?! Give us a call before...
We expect to have another stellar team of staff this summer, filled with both new and familiar faces! The counselors can't wait to get here, and the work crew staff will be the first toarrive in two weeks. The excitement is building and we can't wait to have everyone here in just a little over a month. We would like to extend a big welcome to all of our new counselors, support and administrative staff who will be joining us for their first summer at Kingsley Pines. ...
This has been a big transition year for the Cunningham family. Our oldest daughter, Sibyl, went off to Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. Did we do the right things to help her survive and hopefully even thrive at college? She has been doing her own laundry for a while and was quite proud to tell me she had to show someone how to fold pants! I know that academics are a priority, but would she be able to make friends, fit in, and feel comfortable away from home? It turns out, having her...
Imagine a camp where, every summer, staff come from all over the world and take time off from their lives to spend 11-13 weeks living in a community and commit to the campers 24 hours per ay/6 days per week. A camp where many staff have graduated from college, where some staff choose careers that will allow them to have summers off to continue working at camp or who take a leave of absence in order to work a seasonal job. Where the average age of staff is between 20-22 years old and where multiple...
I developed lasting friendships...
I learned self-esteem...
I became a team player...
I learned how to care...
I became a counselor...
We Went to Camp. Shouldn't You?
Emma Roberts, Hill Harper, Lisa Loeb, Kerri Strug, Michael DeLorenzo, Justin Chambers, Paul Adelstein, James Pickens, Blair Underwood, Sharon Lawrence, Frank Sesno, Glynn Turman, Ashlan Gorse, and Lisa Raye share how their lives have changed Because of Camp…™.
These days it is nearly impossible to find a child between the ages of 8 and 18 without a cell phone, computer, or some other electronic device that consumes hours of their time. According to the New York Times, children between these ages spend 7.5 hours on average per day in front of a screen. Whether that is surfing the web, texting a friend, or watching TV, we are in an era where technology and instant communication run our lives.
According to USA Today, the more media children use, the less happy they tend to become. Heavy media users are more likely to have bad grades, more likely to be "often sad or unhappy," less likely to get along well with their parents and twice as likely to "get into trouble a lot."
Childrenandnature.com states that there is a significant link between screen time and obesity. All of the time spent at a computer is more time taken away from going outside and doing something active, whether it is a sport or just walking to a friend’s house.
Technology usage has increased an hour and 17 minutes a day in the past 5 years. On top of that, children flip between things so rapidly that the actual amount of media content consumed is around 10 hours. What are people doing to tackle this ongoing obsession? Some parents are implementing restrictions on the number of hours spent on the computer and watching TV. Some experts are telling parents to just accept it, such as Dr. Michael Rich, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Boston. Rich said, “with media use so ubiquitous, it’s time to stop arguing over whether it’s good or bad and accept it as part of children’s environment, like the air they breathe, the water they drink and the food they eat.”
Maybe Rich is right, new technology is created every day. Things are changing faster than ever before. At least there are still places like Kingsley Pines that allow kids just to be kids. Camp lets children grow, move, discover, and actually talk to people. Not through a message they read on their cell phones, but actually talk with people physically face to face. After spending three months as a counselor last summer, I know this is something special.
Although a trip to summer camp is highly anticipated by over 11 million children and adults each year, sending a child off to summer camp can be a source of anxiety for parents. Findings from a new study published in the December issue of Injury Prevention should ease their concerns however.
According to the American Camp Association's Healthy Camp Study, the first to examine the epidemiology of injury rates in a large sample of resident camps located throughout the United States and Canada, the risk of serious injury at resident summer camps is relatively low compared to other popular youth activities.
"The good news for parents is that our data show that serious injuries are uncommon at resident summer camps," said Dawn Comstock, associate professor at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine. "The reported injury rate among campers was comparable to those in similar youth activities like sports or playing on playgrounds."
Pat and Joyce Coughlan were inspired to create Kingsley Pines in 1984 based upon their mutual love for children and the importance of a camp experience in character development. Pat is often quoted as saying that his camp years taught him self-confidence, respect for others, and personal determination in ways his education and extracurricular activities could not. Both Pat and Joyce hope that each camper at Kingsley Pines will enjoy a similar life-changing summer, and they remain dedicated to encouraging an environment of fun, adventure, and personal growth.
Kingsley Pines Camp is now entering its second generation of ownership. Sons Devon, Carter, and Drew will begin to take over leadership of camp operations in 2010, though they have all been actively involved in camp for decades. Each son attended Kingsley Pines as a camper and staff member, and thus brings their own memories and love to the ongoing development of camp. Pat and Joyce are thrilled to welcome their family as co-owners, and look forward to working with them to make KP the best camping experience available anywhere. With their wives and children also on campus during the summer months, this family team brings new energy and personal affection to our program. They are all committed to continuing the tradition that is Kingsley Pines.
Essential to the ongoing success of Kingsley Pines is the Camp Director, Alan Kissack. The summer of 2010 will be Alan’s 15th year at KP. His hard work, dedication, and devotion to campers, parents, and staff is appreciated and valued by all.
The Kingsley Pines compost program reduced food waste disposal by more than 10,000 pounds!!Thank you to everyone that participated in composting this summer.Over 10,000 pounds of food scraps, paper products, and grass clippings is now 25 cubic yards (three dump trucks full) of organic soil and will be used next year for our flower beds, landscaping, and shrubbery. Composting is a tangible, real world example of how we can reduce our waste and demand on landfills, while at the same time using our...
Maybe Rich is right, new technology is created every day. Things are changing faster than ever before. At least there are still places like Kingsley Pines that allow kids just to be kids. Camp lets children grow, move, discover, and actually talk to people. Not through a message they read on their cell phones, but actually talk with people physically face to face. After spending three months as a counselor last summer, I know this is something special. .jpg)
